Another Chance
by JourneyRocks13
Summary: After finding out that Griff was gone and nowhere to be found, the group had returned to the Ebon Hawk for one last hyperspace trip to the Star Forge. But, on the hyperspace flight was one very distraught teenage twi'lek. The onus fell on Revan to lift her spirits and make her feel better. And what better way was there to lift her spirits than a game of pazaak?


**Another Chance**

"I want to talk to you about your brother" Avner said. The teenage twi'lek gave him a small smile in return.

"I want to thank you for helping me with Griff. You… you did everything you could for my brother. More than most people would have. I know it might look like it didn't make any difference in the end… Griff's in debt and on the run like usual. But at least I know we tried to help him" Mission explained.

"Don't give up on him, Mission. He still could change" Avner told her, gesturing toward himself.

"I know people can change no matter how bad they are. But I'm not holding my breath. None of us is perfect, but I've come to realize that Griff is a little less perfect than most. My brother is what he is, but I've learned to deal with that. I'll never forget that he looked after me when I was just a kid. But, I don't feel like I owe him anything anymore" she said.

"That's a very mature attitude, Mission" Avner told her, giving her a small smile of encouragement.

"I've made my peace with Griff and what he means to me. If he ever shows up again, I'll deal with him, but I'm not going to dwell on my brother anymore. It's time to move forward!" Mission said, giving Avner a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

* * *

When Avner and Mission got back to the Ebon Hawk, Mission went off to her favorite corner on the ship. Avner went to the cockpit and told Carth to take them to the Star Forge. The pilot did so and once the ship was in hyperspace, Avner went back to the entrance ramp, pausing for a moment before going off into Mission's little area.

He knocked on the wall before entering, and when she turned he saw her eyes were red.

"Avner, what can I do for you?" Mission asked. Avner entered the room and leaned back against the wall, like his stance when they had talked in the past.

"You know why I'm here. You owe me some credits and I'm here to get them back. There's a first time for everything" Avner told her, pulling his pazaak deck out of his pocket.

"You think you can finally beat me? Bring it on!" Mission exclaimed. Both plopped on the ground and started to play.

It wasn't until after the set score was tied at 1 each that Avner broke the silence.

"So, how are you feeling?" he asked, getting handed a 5 to start the 3rd set.

"I'm alright, Avner" she told him, turning over a 9 as her first card.

"I'm sure" he said with a small smile, getting a 1 as his next card.

"I really mean it! I'm ok with it all" Mission told him as she got dealt a 4.

"I believe you" Avner told her, getting a 10 next.

"I don't see why it's so hard for you to understand this, Avner. I think I'm being clear!" Mission told him, getting dealt a 7 to give her an even 20.

"I said I believe you" Avner said, getting a 4 to tie the set at 20 each. There was a small silence as Mission shuffled the cards one more time before Avner took the first card of their set 3 redo. It was an 8.

"Alright, so maybe I'm not doing as well as I said. Can you blame me? I couldn't say any of this in front of Papi Jolee!" she admitted, getting dealt a 2 to start.

"Well, what is bothering you about it now?" Avner asked, turning over a 10. He froze.

"It's just all starting to get to me" she told him, pulling up a 3. Avner just looked at her like she was crazy as he handed her her next card. It was a 7.

"All of this that we are doing, like, what happens in the next day is going to end the war and save the galaxy" Mission told him. Her next card was a 5 which made her curse under her breath.

"Mission, that's not what I'm trying to ask and you know it" Avner told her. The next card was a 10 and Avner won his second set.

"Well then maybe I'm just too young!" Mission teased. She shuffled the cards and dealt him his first card, another 10. Then she took her first card, a 7.

"Good one, Mission, but this one has nothing to do with your age" Avner told her, taking his second card. It was a 9 so he froze at 19.

"Well, then what exactly are you saying?" Mission asked, pulling out a 4 and then another 7.

"You have always been completely honest with me, Mission. I don't want that to change now" Avner explained, fist pumping when Mission's next card was a 6, putting Mission at 24 points. His excitement was short lived, though, when Mission placed a +/- 4 card down on the table, sending them to a 5th set.

"I've come to terms with everything about Griff. I wasn't lying about that" Mission told him, gesturing for him to start the 5th set. He did with a 6.

"Well what else is bothering you then?" he asked her as she took an 8 as her first card.

"Well, I don't really know what I'm going to do after you beat Malak. I'm sure all of us are going to go our own ways and I don't know what I'll do since Griff isn't an option anymore" Mission explained. Her second card was a 1.

"I figured you were just going to stay with Zaalbar honestly" Avner said. His third card was a 3, giving him a total of 19, again allowing him to freeze.

"Well, I always could, but he will be going back to Kashyyyk and I don't know if I would be welcome there with how they treated outsiders" Mission explained. Her next card was a 4.

"I'm sure they would be alright with it. Zaalbar of course would and his father seems like a more progressive sort" Avner mused. Mission's next card was a 5, giving her 18.

"That's true, but I don't think staying there is something that I would be able to do. I am a romantic at heart, you know" she joked, taking a 5 before playing a -5 to get her back at 18.

"Well why don't you just stay with me?" Avner asked, giving her a 3. She played another +/- 4 to put her at 17.

"You'd be ok with that?" she asked, pulling out a 7. Mission played her last hand card, a +/- 6 to put her at 18.

"Why wouldn't I be? You've grown on me while we've been traveling. I've started to think of you as my little sister" Avner told her. She stopped the game and looked up with big eyes.

"Do you really mean that?" she asked him. He looked at her with a questioning look.

"Of course I do, Mission. You're always welcome with me" he told her, giving her another encouraging smile which caused her to jump at him and give him one of the biggest hugs he's ever gotten. It caught him by surprise so much that he plopped right on his back.

"Mission! Gerroff me!" Avner exclaimed through his muffled face.

"That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me!" Mission exclaimed, still hugging Avner with all her strength. All her weight was on his upper body and the lack of air was causing him to get light headed.

Seeing no other option, Avner put his fingers to her sides and prayed to the Force that twi'leks were ticklish. His prayers were answered. Mission yelped and jumped off him, but Avner gave her a few more seconds before he took his hands away. He sat up and looked down at the teenage twi'lek still giggling on the ground. After a few more tense moments she got up and gave him a sheepish smile.

"Thanks for trying to suffocate me" he joked. She giggled again.

"I really appreciate you saying that, Avner. I really do" she told him as she moved back into position for the end of the game.

"Like I said. I think of you as my little sister" Avner reminded her. She gave him a smile of thanks before gesturing for him to deal her the next card.

He did so but he couldn't bear to look right away. when he finally did look, he saw a triumphant grin on Mission's face. He looked down to see a 2 to give Mission an even 20.

"I'm sure you'll beat me someday, big brother!" she teased. Avner groaned and threw a 100-credit chip before he let out a string of curses that would make a smuggler weep.

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, I'm back with a one-shot chapter that came to me as I was playing through Knights of the Old Republic one more time. I always looked at the relationship with Mission as something that could have been made much greater if there was more space for things like this in the game. I've always looked at it as a sibling relationship which deserves a little more love.**

 **I am not back permanently sadly. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I had enough time to write this little fic. I hope you all enjoyed. And I definitely hope I will have time to write more coming up. Thanks for reading.**


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